With various types of computing devices such as desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, and/or smartphones becoming increasingly more prevalent in the modern world, it is common for individuals to use multiple computing devices as part of their daily lives. For example, smartphones may be used to purchase items through online websites. Some consumers may provide credit card information through their smartphones to purchase the items. Further, some consumers may provide such information in merchant stores to make in-store purchases. For example, the merchant stores may have a number of point-of-sale (POS) devices or checkout devices that receive the information to perform numerous transactions throughout the day. In some instances, the ability to make purchases in various such ways may be convenient, possibly enabling consumers to purchase items from virtually any location.
Yet, a number of issues may also arise with using multiple ways to purchase items. In some instances, it might be inconvenient or inefficient for a given user to provide credit card information to multiple online websites and/or checkout devices each time the user wishes to purchase an item. For example, a given user may have to create a login or enter login information for each of the websites, enter the credit card information, and/or validate the information each time the user wishes to make a purchase. Furthermore, at each merchant store, the user may be required to swipe the credit card through a checkout device, prove rightful ownership of the credit card by providing a separate identification card, and/or provide a valid signature on a merchant receipt to complete the purchases. As such, the user may be required to take a number of steps to complete a simple purchase.
Furthermore, consumers providing their credit card information to multiple merchant websites and/or devices such as POS devices, checkout devices, kiosks, and/or other merchant devices may be subject to undesirable security risks. For example, entering or re-entering sensitive confidential information may increase risks, where the websites and/or the checkout devices receiving such information may be susceptible to potential interceptors. Consider the scenarios above where a user wishes to purchase an item through a website and provides the credit card information. In such instances, risks may be increased as the user makes additional purchases from various other websites and provides the information to each of the websites. The increased exposure of the information to potential interceptors is generally undesirable to user. Even if the actual security risk is minimal or non-existent, consumers may be reluctant to provide payment information to a merchant, such as through a merchant website, due to the perceived security risks.
Thus, there is much need for technological improvements to avert the inconveniences and/or inefficiencies associated with entering sensitive information into merchant websites and/or devices. In addition, there is much need for improvements in maintaining or ensuring the security with using such devices.
Embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantages may be understood by referring to the detailed description that follows. It should be appreciated that like reference numerals are used to identify elements illustrated in one or more of the figures, where the figures illustrate various examples for purposes of illustration and explanation related to the embodiments of the present disclosure and not for purposes of limitation.